Research indicates that classic vehicle owners have the most affection for vehicles from the Swinging Sixties.

The majority of classic car owners reckon the 1960s are the decade that produced the most appealing cars.

According to a survey by insurer Footman James, 64 per cent of classic vehicle owners rate the 1960s as the era of classic motoring that they have the most interest in.

The Sixties was the decade that the majority of respondents spent their youth, as 32 per cent of those surveyed are age 50-59. It also produced many landmark cars, such as the Jaguar E-type, MGB, Lotus Elan and Porsche 911.

In 1961 the Morris Minor, at the height of its popularity, became the first British car to sell more than one million units, while Ford's Cortina appeared the following year.

Just over half of the 3,608 respondents (54 per cent) have an interest in the classics of the 1970s, 32 per cent in the 1950s and 28 per cent in the 1980s.

Andy Fairchild, Footman James' managing director, said: "Having a passion for classics is often a real family affair and therefore it is not surprising that the 1960s is the most popular decade of classic motoring, bearing in mind the age of the respondents and the fact that they may well have spent their childhood tinkering under the bonnet of their dad's car.

"The challenge for the industry now is to generate an enthusiasm for the future classics, cars from the 1990s and the last decade, ensuring the passion for classics lives on in current generations."